A Slight Change in Destiny's Plans
by Christine Ruud
Summary: After her late night discussion with Prue, Phoebe Halliwell decides that Cole Turner is worth yet another chance. Unfortunately, her sisters think that she's crazy. AU, eventual ColePhoebe --UPDATED!
1. Role Reversal

**A Slight Change in Destiny's Plans  
**_**Role Reversal **_

Phoebe Halliwell took a deep breath as she got out of her car. She was in front of Cole Turner's apartment building and wondering, for the seventy-second time that day, what she was doing. She'd felt confident about wanting Cole back the night before, but now, in the bright sun of San Francisco, she wasn't so sure.

"You're just going to talk to him," Phoebe said to her reflection in the car window. "You don't have to pour your heart out."

She walked slowly into the building, nodding at the desk clerk, who raised his eyebrows and grinned.

_Keep walking_, she instructed herself silently. _And for God's sake, don't let Cole see that creep leering at you or the building will be short an employee._

Phoebe made it to the elevator without incident. As if on autopilot, she pressed the button that would lead her to the penthouse--and to Cole.

The elevator went _much _too fast, she decided as she arrived on her floor. She didn't know what she was going to say or do, and she wished that she could orb out and think about what she was doing.

The door opened.

From the living room, the sounds of _The Bold and the Beautiful _blared out. Phoebe proceeded into the penthouse with caution, not knowing what to expect. The sarcastc, unflappable Cole was watching daytime soaps? That was new (and also disturbing).

"Cole?" asked Phoebe.

"Phoebe." Cole cast his gaze from the television to his semi-ex-wife. "You're certainly the last person I expected to see here."

"We need to talk. Cole-"

"Last night you proved that there's obviously no way we even be acquaintances. So get out."

"No!" Phoebe stormed over and shut off the television.

"Hey," said Cole. "I was watching that."

"Yeah, well, you can catch it on re-runs," Phoebe snapped. "Cole, what's wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me? Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that no matter what I do, you can't see that I'm not evil."

"That's why I came."

"Wonderful. Let me guess--you whipped up a new vanquishing potion last night, right?"

"No. The reason-"

"Wait, I've got it. You've found a way to curse me into oblivion."

"Cole, I am _trying _to tell you that I'm beginning to trust you again. Not completely, but...but I realize that you were never willingly evil. The only reason you absorbed the demonic powers in the wasteland was because you wanted me back."

"You're thinking awfully highly of yourself, aren't you?"

"I don't understand," said Phoebe. "I thought you'd be thrilled."

"I guess," Cole said, "that you were wrong."

Phoebe shook her head. "Forget it. I should have known that this would never work out."

As she stalked back to the elevator, a premonition hit her.

_A guillotine appears, and Cole lays down underneath the blade. Seconds before head and body are separated, the blade freezes._

_"Can't you at least let me not die in peace?" he demands._

She was jerked out of the vision by Cole, who turned the television back on.

"I'm not leaving."

"You won't ever truly tust me, even though you say you do," said Cole. "You said it yourself--there are thousands of ways that I could turn on you."

"We--we can strip your powers."

"They'll find a new demonic home. Face it, Phoebe. The universe is against us."

There was pause.

"Looks like our roles are reversed," said Phoebe. "I want you but you don't want me."

"You think I don't want you?"

"What other possible explanation is there?"

"That I don't want to hurt you."

"You _have _hurt me, Cole, and I've recovered. If you were worried about hurting me, you would have thought about that before you came back from the demonic wasteland. And will you shut that freaking thing off? It's getting on my nerves!" Phoebe pointed to the television. A spark emitted from her hand and, within five seconds, the set was a molten glob of plastic.

"What the hell was that?" Cole stood up.

"I...I don't know. A new power?"

"This is exactly why you should stay away from me."

"What do you mean?"

"By definition, energy bolts are evil."

"Oh, God." Phoebe struggled for balance as she made her way to a chair.

"What's wrong?"

"When we went to the future...this is how I killed Cal Greene." Phoebe stared down at her hands. "This could be the first step on the way to my execution."

"Phoebe, from what I've heard from that trip, Prue was alive and Piper and Leo were divorced."

"I've gotta get out of here," said Phoebe. "You said it yourself, I've got an evil power."

"By _definition_. I didn't mean that yours were evil. Think about glamouring--it's a Whitelighter _and _demonic power. There's a good chance yours could be ambiguous."

"Either way, I've got to get home and ask Leo." Phoebe stood up. "Think about what I said, all right?"

"It won't change anything, Phoebe. You've got enough evil in your life without me interfering."

Phoebe bit her lip. "And what do you have in _your_ life, Cole? Chinese food? Soap operas? Your job?"

"I have the security of knowing that I won't be able to hurt you if I'm not involved with you."

Phoebe pressed the down arrow on the elevator, and the door opened immediately. The elevator was halfway down before Phoebe realized what she had done. She hit the button for the penthouse again and was surprised that the elevator didn't come to a complete stop. (She'd experienced that many, many times in New York, usually at some ungodly hour after a night of clubbing.)

"You'll hurt me because you're going to spiral downward," she said as Cole (standing over the melted television set) looked up.

"What?"

"Cole, I saw you try to kill yourself! You're going to go insane. In my premonition, I felt your emotions. You were in so much pain, so much anguish, that you wanted nothing to do with life anymore. I can't let you end up like that."

"What are you talking about?" Cole moved closer to her. "You had a premonition? When?"

"Just before I fried your TV," answered Phoebe. "Look, whatever happens, I'm not worth suicide. Remember that."

"I think you'd better sit down," Cole said.

"I can't. I've got to ask Leo about this power."

"You're shaking."

"I'll be fine," said Phoebe.

"Either way, I think I'd better drive you."

"Drive?"

"I'm not using my powers, even the neutral ones. Period."

Phoebe looked up at Cole. "Thank you."

"For?"

"Trying."

"To do what?"

"To be good."

"Trying and not succeeding."

"I think there's a way that you can succeed," Phoebe said. "I'm going to go back to the Manor, do a little research, but I'll call you. Don't leave, okay?"

Cole nodded. "I just want to know one thing, though."

"Anything."

"Yesterday you hated me. What's changed?"

"I got a little help from the other side," said Phoebe. At Cole's confused look, she shook her head. "It's a long story." She patted his shoulder. "I'll be back."

As she left, Cole sat down on the sofa and wondered what exactly was going on.

_A/N: I really hope this is going to develop into something interesting and unique. I've read so many good Cole/Phoebe fics (and a few clunkers, but we won't mention those) on here, and I want this to live up to the quality of what I've seen. _

_I'm going for weekly updates (they'll probably come on either Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday--my library days). More reviews will motivate me to get going on the next chapters! _

_As for notes on the story, I'm not sure if there was a television in the penthouse, but for creative purposes, this has (well, had) one. _

_I'm just gonna overstate the obvious here, but this is very, VERY alternate universe. I figured that since Phoebe's destiny was changing because she went to go talk to Cole, her powers would be advancing differently. _

_I love reviews. Glowing reviews make my day. Criticism...ehhhh, I'll deal with it. Gentle criticism is so much better than "Okay, no offense, but this is so totally wrong. Everyone's way out of character and you need WAY more details and stuff like that." But even that is better than "YOU SUCK, GO AWAY!" _

_So that's my babbling. Read, review, tell your friends. _


	2. Information

**A Slight Change in Destiny's Plans  
_Information_**

"Leo!" Phoebe pushed open the door to the Manor.

"She's back," Paige called from the landing, where she was scrubbing the wall.

"What happened?" asked Phoebe, dropping her purse.

"We had a little demon incident," Piper said as she came into the entryway.

"Is everyone all right?"

"Fine. Just your typical shimmer, freeze, and explode."

"Did you check the Book? Maybe he was just a sneak preview."

"His blood was green," said Paige. "Believe me, he wasn't important."

Phoebe glared upwards. "Where's _Leo_?"

The familiar white and blue orbs circled, and Leo became visible. "Sorry. I got caught up in Madagascar."

"Madagascar?" Piper repeated.

"Leo, you need to go check with the elders," said Phoebe. "I've got a new power and I need to see if it's evil."

Paige dropped the sponge. "You got a new power? That's terrific."

"You call throwing lightning bolts 'terrific'?"

"Oh. Ouch."

"I'll go ask," said Leo, who disappeared as quickly as he'd appeared.

"Phoebe," Piper said, "how did you find out you could throw lightning bolts?"

"I was...somewhere," began Phoebe, "and I melted a TV set."

"Somewhere. You were _somewhere_. Oh God, Phoebe. You weren't in a store, were you?"

"Of course not. Why would I go to a store? You know me. I never go to stores. Well, I'd better be going to the office now, so-"

"Phoebe, you're babbling," Piper said. "And it's Sunday, which means your office is _closed_. So why don't you sit down and tell us what happened?"

"I can't." Phoebe pushed past both of her sisters.

Paige raised her eyebrows. "For some reason, I think she's hiding something."

Once upstairs in the attic, Phoebe grabbed the Book of Shadows. "There has to be something about power stripping potions in here." She paused as she opened the book. "Wait a minute."

_But you can't ask Paige for the one she made, _she told herself. _That'll lead to questions, which will lead to a nasty confrontation about Cole, and the whole thing will get blown way out of proportion. _

Her thoughts were interrupted by Leo, who orbed in behind her.

Phoebe slammed the book shut. "That was fast."

"The elders were interested in your concern," said Leo. He sat down next to her. "They had some information about your future that they think might ease your mind."

"Really?"

"Apparently--in that future--the power you used to kill Cal Greene wasn't yours. You...you _borrowed_ a demonic power from the demon you were involved with."

"Wait. I was involved with a demon? Some things never change." Phoebe put the book down. "So this new power I have is good?"

"Very good, especially for the Charmed Ones. You've always wanted an offensive power, haven't you?"

"Yeah, but I thought it'd be something less...hot."

"Do you remember which emotion triggered it? Fear, anger?"

Phoebe thought back. "Frustration."

"Should I ask where you were when you found out about this?"

"No."

"All right." Leo stood up. "I'd better go and help Piper clean the kitchen."

"Have fun," said Phoebe. "And will you send Paige up here?"

"Sure."

Once Leo had left, Phoebe picked up the book again. Before she could open it, the pages flipped open.

_My darling Phoebe,_

_I know how much you're going through right now, and to be perfectly frank, it's going to get a lot harder. If you continue to pursue Cole, you're going to have to go through your family to get to him._

**_Grams, quit being so negative. I just got her to admit that she still has feelings for the guy!_**

_I'm just pointing out the facts. _

**_Well, stop it._**

_Oh, Phoebe, I'm sorry about that, but Prue just had to butt in. Sweetheart, you have my support._

**_And mine._**

_With much love, _

_Grams **(and Prue)**_

**_Oh yeah, Phoebs, you might want to tear this page out of the Book...you know, just so Paige and Piper don't get suspicious before you want them to. And about those two--they'll come around about Cole. Eventually._**

Phoebe shook her head and snorted back laughter.. She was glad that she had some kind of guidance, even though it was from the afterlife.

"Phoebe?" Paige stuck her head in the doorway. "Leo said you wanted to talk to me?"

She shut the Book. "There's no easy way to start this, so I'm just gonna blurt it out. Do you still have the power stripping potion you made for Cole?"

"Yeah--well, part of it, anyway. Why?"

"I need it."

"Why? I thought for all you cared, Cole could deal with demonic powers for the rest of his life."

"I was wrong," said Phoebe. "Look, Paige, I know you're not gonna like this, but I talked to Cole this morning."

"You what?" Paige asked. "Phoebe!"

"I said I _talked _to him. That doesn't mean that I jumped into his arms and begged him to take me back."

"You better not have." Paige sat down next to her sister. "So you want to strip his powers because...why?"

"I think that there's still a chance for us," said Phoebe. "Maybe not to be a couple--at least, not right away--but to start out as friends, and then-"

"I don't believe this," Paige said, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "Phoebe, he tried to _kill _us. Multiple times, I might add."

"That was the Source."

"And what about before that? When he was Belthazor? You saw that...that _thing _in the attic that tried to kill us."

"What's wrong with you? Two days ago you were all for stripping Cole's powers."

"That was because I was under Barbas's influence."

"Paige," Phoebe began, "I'm not asking for your permission, just the potion."

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"I'm not going to watch your ruin your life again."

With that, Paige stomped out of the attic and Phoebe put her head in her hands. This, she decided, was _not _going to be a piece of cake.

_A/N: Sorry about the wait! I've got some other stuff that I'm working on and people to deal with, so I beg forgiveness? Please? (Imagine Bambi eyes.)_


	3. The Past and the Power

**A Slight Change in Destiny's Plans**

_**The Past and The Power**_

"Phoebe has gone nuts. She's cuckoo." Paige flopped down on the sofa and crossed her arms.

Piper stuck her head out of the kitchen. "Why?" she asked.

"Because," the redhead began, annoyance lacing her voice, "she told me that she wants to try it again with Cole."

"She _what_?" Piper asked. "Paige, it's not April Fool's Day, even though that holiday's demon did just show up two days ago."

"I'm not joking."

"She is cuckoo," agreed Piper, letting her white dishrag fall from her hand unnoticed. "I mean, I could almost see why she took him back after the whole Brotherhood thing. His mentor guy tricked him into killing--"

"You know what?" Paige broke off Piper's reminiscing about her younger sister's tumultuous relationship with the half-demon. "The past is the past, and it should stay there. We've finally moved on from Cole and we're happy, right? _Phoebe _is happy."

Piper picked up the cloth and sighed. "I don't know."

"She has a life," Paige went on. "She has Miles. It's a clean slate for her. It'd be like sending a white dress out to get dry-cleaned and then baking an eight-course meal wearing it!"

Piper nodded. "You're absolutely right," she said. "But you can't get rid of the love of your life by paying a fortune in dry-cleaning bills."

"And she has a new power…" Paige shook her head. "It's too much for one person to handle at one time."

"Since when did you become the psychology expert?" Piper asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Shush." Paige stood up. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to try to talk some sense into that sister of mine. _Again_."

Piper watched as Paige went up the stairs. _Headstrong, _she thought wryly. _Both of them. If only Grams were here_.

**XXX**

"If Paige won't give me the stupid potion," Phoebe muttered under her breath, "then I'm going to make my own." She squinted down at the Book of Shadows. "What the heck is a Valkyrie?"

"Step away from the podium, lady," a voice instructed from the doorway.

Phoebe looked up. "I'm trying to do something here."

"Yeah, get us killed," Paige said, striding in.

"No, that's what you'll be doing if you don't give me the power stripping potion," said Phoebe, flipping the page. "Cole isn't dangerous if he doesn't have powers."

"Cole is _always _dangerous," Paige corrected. "Period."

"You haven't known him for as long as I have. There's a good side to him. All the times when he tried to kill me…" Phoebe trailed off. "Bad example."

"I can't believe you're even considering this."

"Give him a chance, Paige," said Phoebe, meeting her eyes. "You met him with the pre-conception that he was evil. He's not. He's part good, like you're part Whitelighter."

"Yes, but my half heals. His half maims."

"Enough." Phoebe picked up the book and headed out of the attic. "I don't want to talk, I want to work. I'm going to my room which, incidentally, has a door that locks. And don't even think of orbing in."

Paige rolled her eyes. "I hate to have to do this."

"What?" Phoebe turned around, wishing that she was someplace peaceful to deal with the sudden change in her attitude.

Paige held out her arms. "Book," she commanded.

No sooner had she uttered those words did Phoebe disappear in a swirl of blue and white orbs with a shriek. Paige looked around cautiously and winced.

"This is not good."

**XXX**

Phoebe blinked several times as she struggled to get her balance and not drop the Book. She'd never liked orbing. Shimmering was worse, sure, and her form of travel with Prue last night hadn't been her definition of fun, but this Charmed One preferred buses to supernatural transport.

She looked around, not certain of how she'd gotten where she was. She wasn't even certain of where she was. There were evergreen trees…birds chirping…and headstones?

A haggard-looking wooden sign caught her eye:

_Peaceful Rest Cemetery: Hawthorne, Washington_

"Something tells me that this new power thingy is a little more than throwing lightning bolts." Phoebe shuddered. "_Leo!" _

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to movieholic, who gave me a kick in the butt to turn the engine over on this one. This fic, while on the back burner for a zillion and a half years, has been spinning in my mind over and over…plot ideas, various alternate universes, the whole shebang. When it originally started, I had no clue where this was gonna go. Now, I think I do. _


End file.
